Thanks to some singing Sanrio employees, Hello Kitty’s empire — which already includes permanent cafes, Barbies and even toilet paper– has expanded to a Hacienda Heights karaoke spot.

A group of Los Angeles-based workers from the Japanese character’s parent company have been belting out tunes at Energy Bistro & Karaoke regularly for more than five years. The fun began when one of the Sanrio employees was introduced to the venue’s Alhambra location by a friend and it soon became a favorite after-work hangout. As the employees and the karaoke spot’s owners got to know each other, they began to wonder if the companies could work together.

It would be a natural fit since one of Sanrio’s newer characters, Aggretsuko, a red panda, is noted for venting her frustration from her day job by singing, or rather, screaming, death metal karaoke at night.

The plan came to fruition in the form of a two-year partnership, launching at Energy Bistro & Karaoke’s Hacienda Heights location, where you can rent a character-themed karaoke room and sing your favorite metal tunes like Aggretsuko, eat Hello Kitty-inspired food or slouch on the couch like the lazy egg character Gudetama.

“I love the concept of partnering with a karaoke lounge because, as a Japanese company, karaoke is a natural part of our culture,” said David Marchi, vice president of brand marketing and marketing at Sanrio Inc. “Whenever we go to our Tokyo office there’s always at least one karaoke session with our coworkers. It’s a natural extension of us to offer our characters to our fans in a new way.”

In addition to its regular karaoke rooms, Energy Bistro & Karaoke now features a room dedicated to Gudetama, one to Aggretsuko and two Hello Kitty-themed rooms, plus a character-inspired menu.

You can rock as hard as you dare in Aggretsuko’s space with graffiti-like vignettes from the red panda’s day — and night — on the wall, chill on a white couch surrounded by egg yolk yellow walls in Gudetama’s room or wax nostalgic in the classic Hello Kitty room boasting walls and furniture with old school ‘70s images, like Hello Kitty’s milk bottle, apples and bow. The Hello Kitty starry room is for big groups of 18 people or more and has a canopy of stars from ceiling to floor.

Eighteen or more Sanrio fans can have fun in the Hello Kitty Starry Room at Energy Bistro & Karaoke in Hacienda Heights. (Photo courtesy of Sanrio).

Sanrio fans can dine on dishes with inspired by the beloved characters, too.

Here are the character-themed plates:

Hello Kitty Okonomiyaki Hot Dog ($19): A sausage served in a stamped Hello Kitty bun, wrapped in an savory cabbage okonomiyaki pancake and topped with bonito (fish), aonori (dried seaweed), mayonnaise and savory okonomi sauce. It is served with a side of fried tofu.

Aggretsuko Mini Rage Burger ($10): The angus beef burger comes on a brioche bun with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese, thousand island dressing, ketchup and mayonnaise with garlic fries and pickles on the side. And to get you in the mood to rock, the bun is stamped with Aggretsuko’s full death metal rage face.

Gudetama Lazy Waffle Sandwich ($19): Honey ham, a sunny-side-up egg with Gudetama’s features drawn in its yolk I don’t understand the featured in, lettuce, tomato and maple syrup, are served open-faced on a toasted waffle and flanked by sweet potato tots topped with melted cheese.

Each item comes with a free ice tea or lemonade and a Sanrio x Energy Bistro & Karaoke button set.

“This is the first iteration of the menu offerings, but we will work to evolve and add new menu items as our partnership evolves,” Marchi said. “This gives us the opportunity to continue to offer new items for our fans to enjoy.”

Hello Kitty and her friends are thrilled about their new space, Marchi said, and he shared some of the things they like best.

He said her favorite karaoke songs are anything upbeat and sweet, Marchi said, like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, and maybe a little Britney Spears too, since she is always a crowd-pleaser.

“She’s all about sharing the love so she’d probably try a little bit of each (menu item) and share it with everyone else,” Marchi said.

Aggretsuko is likely to nibble on her namesake burger in between screaming heavy metal, death metal and other aggressive grooves, like Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.”

As for the lazy egg Gudetama, Marchi believes he would prefer tunes that are lethargic or mellow and don’t require a lot of vocalization or energy. He might enjoy Bruno Mars’ “Lazy Song” accompanied by the Gudetama Lazy Waffle Sandwich — eaten very slowly of course.

Limited edition co-branded merchandise is also available for purchase at Energy Bistro & Karaoke and a Little Twin Stars karaoke room will be added next year. Also in the coming year, Aggretsuko will be starring in her own Netflix series.

Michelle Mills has been an entertainment and features reporter for the Southern California News Group since 1999. She has interviewed such notables as Weird Al Yankovic, Glen Campbell, Alice Cooper, Debbie Allen, Ernest Borgnine (during an earthquake) and Adam Young (Owl City). She was the 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade Queen reigning 2007-2009. She is a professional belly dancer (swordwork is her specialty) and also studies Polynesian and Tahitian dance.